Coin-controlled vending machine.



No. 823,956. I PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906. 8'. W. MEREDITH.

COIN GONTRGLLED VENDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 190B.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WITNESSES.

r'lVi ENTOR GEORGEWMEREDHH ATTORNEYS No. 823,956. PATENTED JUNE 19,1906. G. W. MEREDITH.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIOK rum: FEB.23,1906.

2 sums-sum 2.

nws/vroa GEORGE WME-REm-m A TTORN E Y8 WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WASHINGTON MEREDITH, OF WIOHITA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO MILO R.MEREDITH, OF VVABASH, INDIANA.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1906.

Original application filed April 11, 1905, fierial No. 255,042. Dividedand as application filed February 23' 1986. Serial No. 302,592.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WASHINGTON MEREDITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and tate ofKansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Coin-ControlledVending Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to coin-controlled vending devices.

It is a division of a prior application for a patent for a cigar-vendingmachine, which was filed by me April 11, 1905, Serial No.

255,042 5 and it consists in the novel mcchan- 7 tom of their box A, asseen in Fig. 1, into the cells 9 of an endless belt, which is distendedabout sprocket-wheels 4 5. l

A spring-motor mechanism 15 16 17, Fig. 2, is wound up by shaft 18 andturns a ear 14, which meshes with a gear ll and w ich in turn (see Fig.3) meshes with a larger ear 10 on the same shaft with the front spree.etwheels, and these latter give motion to the cell-belt to discharge thecigars whenever the motor mechanism is set into action throu h thecoin-controlled devices, When the mec anism is at rest, these gears arelocked by a detent 19, Fig. 3, pivoted at its rear end to the frameworkand havin a tooth 20, ads ted to strike against one (if the ratchet-test13 of the disk 12. This detent lies in the same vertical plane with thedisk 12 and is ressed down by a coiled-wire spring 21 an has alaterallyrejecting or right-angularly-bent end 22, lg. 2, that liesacross the top of a coin-chute and in the path of the coin. Thecoin-chute occupies a plane parallel to the de tent 19. As the coin isforced under and past this bent end 22 of the detent, as in dotted linesin Fig. 1, said bent end 22 is lifted, and the tooth 20 of the detentbein withdrawn from tooth 13 of the ratchet-dis the motor mechanism isunlocked, and it then turns the gears 11 and 1D and the cell -belt untilthe detent takes up against the other ratchettooth 13. K

The coin-chute consists of four parts; the upper part 23, Fig. 1, whichcurves upwardly and forwardly and is the receiving-mouth. This part haspivoted in its sides a thin pronged wheel 24, which acts as a guard toprevent the insertion of a wire to surreptitiously lift the detent. Oneprong or arm of this wheel is weighted, so that it alwaysgravitates to aposition that closes the path to the entrance of a length of wire 5 butwhen a coin enters and strikes the gravitating arm the wheel yields andallows the coin to pass, as the descent of the next prong above the coindoes not obstruct the passage of a coin, as it would the entrance of anextended length of wire. At the bottom of the part 23 of the coin-chuteis another horizontal part 25, in which slides a thin plunger 26,attached to a stem 27, that bears a push-button B on its end. Thisplunger is normally held out by a spring 28, and when the coin isinserted it drops in front of this plunger, as shown, and than uponforcing the push-button in the plun er strikes the coin, and forcing itinwardly and upwardly the edge of the top of the coin strikes thelateral projection 22 of the detent and forcing it up releases thelooking-detent and starts the delivery mechanism into action. As thecoin passes under the bent end 22 of the detent the downward s ringaction of the detent forces the coin own into the receiving-chamber 29,and thence it passes into the trough 30, which leads down to an openingin the floor on which the vending device stands, and thence into anysubjacent money-drawer. This coin-trough 30 is pivoted at 31, so thatits lower end may be lifted from registration with the opening in thefloor when it is to be removed therefrom, as indicated in dotted lines.

In the bottom of the part 25 of the coinchute there is an openin 33,which forms a seat for a proper coin in rent of the lunger. This o eningis of such size that a sine ler coin than t e pro or one will fallthrough it, and the action 0 the plun or will he ineffective. When a proor coin, owever, rests in this seat and is orced forward by the plunger,such coin in rising from the seat will cause an upward or lifting actionagainst the bent end. 22 of the-detent to more positively lift it fromits locking position.

Although intended for cigars, it will be understood that this device maybe used for vending any other articles of uniform size.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination with thecarrying-cells and a motor for actuating the same; of a tripping deviceconsisting of a gear-wheel having a ratchet-tooth, a pivoted detent-armarranged in the plane of and engaging said ratchettooth and having alaterally-projecting end, a coin-chute arranged parallel to thedetentarm and passing beneath said laterally-projectin end and a plungerarranged in the coininto and ada ted to force the coin up against saidlatera ly-projecting end of the detent and lift the same away from theratchet-tooth.

2. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination with thecarrying-cells and a motor for actuating the same; of a tripping deviceconsisting of a gear-wheel-having a ratchet-tooth, a pivoted detent-armarranged in the plane of and engaging said ratchettooth and having alaterallyrojecting end, a coin-chute arranged parallei to the detent armand passing beneath said laterally-pro jecting end and having in itsbottom a discharge-opening for improper coins said opening also forminga seat for a proper coin and a spring-plunger arranged to force a propercoin up out of said seat and against the laterally-projecting end of thedetent-arm to lift the same.

3. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination with thecarryingcells and a motor for actuating the same; of a tripping deviceconsisting of a gear-wheel having a ratchet-tooth, a pivoted detent-armarranged in the plane of and enga ing said ratchettooth and having alateral y-projecting end, a coin-chute arranged parallel to thedetentarm and passing beneath said laterally-projecting end and having asprin lunger for advancing the coin beneath said gent end of the detent,and a coin-trough pivoted beneath the discharge end of the coin-chute topermit adjustment of its discharge end.

4. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination with thedischarging devices, the coin-chute and the coin-controlled startingdevices; of a coin-trough leading from the coin-chute and pivoted at itsupper end below the coin-chute to permit the lower end of the trough tobe adjusted as described.

GEORGE WASHINGTON MEREDITH. Witnesses J. G. HERMANN,

G. A. GINTER.

